When Foster City resident Bernie Martinez was laid off from his job as director of education and financial planning at Financial Title Co. in July 2008, he was stunned; unemployment was the last thing he had expected.

“It was a shock, to say the least,” he said.

Martinez wasn’t alone. About 500 employees statewide lost their jobs at Financial Title Co. that month.

“It just went away overnight, that’s the frightening part,” Martinez said. “We had been assured that we were all doing well, and that’s why we were all taken by surprise.”

Martinez and other San Mateo County residents affected by layoffs and the economic crisis addressed the board of supervisors Tuesday morning to voice their opinions about the state’s proposal to delay giving money to the county for health, social services, public works and public safety programs.

Seven months after being laid off, Martinez said he still hasn’t found work and is worried about how he will make his next mortgage payment.

“It’s been really frustrating for me,” he said. “I have a lot of transferable skills that can benefit almost any company.”

But, he added, despite sending out resumes and even receiving several interviews, he still hasn’t found work.

San Mateo County typically receives $30 million to $40 million a month from the state for health and human services programs, County Manager David Boesch said.

But due to the state’s ongoing budget crisis, the state controller’s office has proposed a delay of a month or more in giving some of that money to counties.

The board of supervisors Tuesday morning unanimously adopted a resolution that rejects the Legislature’s proposal to defer health and human services payments, and calls for reforms and directs the county manager to prepare San Mateo County for an increased demand for safety net services.

Supervisor Rich Gordon said the county has saved some money to use in emergency situations, but that if the state delays giving money for health and human services programs, the county would quickly burn through its reserves.

“And then what?” Gordon said. “We have to look at this creatively to stretch our dollars.”

San Mateo resident Shauna Mullins spoke to the supervisors shortly before they adopted the resolution Tuesday morning, stressing the necessity of state dollars to help pay for her work as a foster parent.

Mullins said she has adopted three youths and provides emergency shelter for many others.

“When we open the door to greet a traumatized child, it’s our calling to take this child in and care for them,” she said. She added that she is currently reimbursed about 70 percent for board and care expenses, but that number is sure to drop if the state delays giving the county money for foster care payments.

Other speakers included representatives from various local agencies that provide money, food and shelter to those in need.

Violent police encounters in California last year led to the deaths of 157 people and six officers, the state attorney general’s office said Thursday in a report that provides the first statewide tally on police use-of-force incidents.